Remote Switch Systems, Inc.                

REmote cable PAir Cross Connect System (REPACCS)

REPACCS, The cross-connect system that is so unique it's patented. Make physical layer cross-connections with a single keystroke. Automate Your Network from Central Office to Pedestal. Serving Area Interfaces Pedestals / Terminals Central Office Distributing Frames Remote Distributing Frames Customer Main Distributing Frames Inside Building Terminals High Risk Area Cross-Connect Activities

REPACCS Advantage

• Transparent to the line - supports all services on twisted copper pair

• True metallic cross-connect is transparent to copper telephone

• Keeps your people out of dangerous areas

• No dispatch of personnel required to make or break a cross-connect.

• Allows 100% utilization of the 300 termination points

• Fully complements MLT, with internal test bus

• Eliminates the possibility of causing a secondary problem during a site visit to fix an initial problem

From our first RECAPSS cut-over product in 1980, to our first REPACCS automated cross-connect cabinet in 1986, to our SixPack RASDSL System, Remote Switch Systems has remained committed to meeting your needs for automated metallic cable pair cut-over and cross-connect devices.

While other companies have been Talking about plant automation, RSS has been Doing.  RSS now provides a complete line of automated metallic cross-connect products to completely mechanize the copper network from Central Office right to the inside wiring.

Providing rugged, reliable, field proven equipment and backing it up with the service and support you'd expect from much larger companies has been the hallmark of Remote Switch Systems' success.  From our headquarters in Loveland, Colorado, where our products are manufactured, tested, and shipped, we are committed to providing you with quality products at a reasonable price.

Meeting your needs: we're not just talking about it, we're doing it.

Decated to providing you with innovate, cost-effective cable pair cross-connect devices to improve service, increase efficiency, and make your job safer and easier.

REPACCS is a unique system that brings the benefits of technology to the high cost area of cable pair cross-connect activity.

Proven in the field, REPACCS units are in service in the U.S., Europe, and the Pacific Rim.

In today's telecommunications environment, with its high concentration of special circuits and the demand for better service and lower costs; Remote Switch Systems offers you the edge you need to handle all your cross-connection tasks.

Remote Switch Systems is dedicated to providing reliable, proven equipment to meet your cross-connection needs.  Your purchase, however, buys you more than just equipment.  We provide ALL the training you need plus ANY backup support required.   We are always ready to answer your questions and solve your problems.  RSS is committed to reliable systems and excellence in service.

This unique product, coupled with RSS quality service and support professionals will have your company making profits today with the services of tomorrow...

The REPACCS system is an electronically controlled, remotely actuated metallic physical layer cross-connect system for copper twisted pairs.

The REPACCS system consists of the components shown in (Figure 1) and listed as follows:

1. REPACCS Software

2. UNIX Computer System

3. Cross-Connect Control Unit (CCCU)

4. REPACCS electronics modules for:

• Automated Building Terminals (ABT)
• Automated Closure (AC)
• Automated Distribution Frames (ADF)
• Automated Serving Area Interfaces (ASAI)

A cross-connect on the REPACCS electronic module is remotely actuated from a UNIX computer system with the REPACCS software. This makes it unnecessary to send personnel to serving area interfaces (SAI), aerial closures(AC), pedestal points, building terminals (BT) and distribution frames (DF) to install or remove a cross-connect. For this reason, the REPACCS system provides an exceptionally cost-effective method of performing cross-connects, particularly in unmanned locations, such as: controlled environmental vaults (CEV), HUTS and remote central offices.

The REPACCS system is ideal in areas where there are frequent changes to the network, such as: industrial parks, medical clinics, apartment complexes, retirement homes, marinas, local area networks (LAN) and other applications in which circuits are being changed frequently.

The REPACCS electronic modules mount in a cabinet or a frame. The number of modules is a function of the cabinet/frame type and may range from one to four modules. The standard module accommodates 300 input pairs and 600 output pairs. The REPACCS system does not require any routine maintenance.

Note: All REPACCS electronics components operate independent of one another. An ADF is not required for ASAI or ABT operation and vice-versa.

Figure 1. System Components and Basic Layout

REPACCS Technical Practice

REPACCS Software

The REPACCS software is a UNIX based system that maintains an 100% accurate inventory of cross-connections for the all REPACCS equipment that it controls. The system communicates with the CCCU via a modem over the public switched telephone network.  The following functions can be performed:

• determine and display the current cross-connects
• assign (and un-assign) input terminations to (or from) output terminations
• provide test connections on input/output terminations

The procedures for assigning a cross-connect from the software are designed to be simple and straight forward. These procedures are described in detail in the REPACCS User’s and Administrator’s manuals. The following is a brief summary of the options available to the operator.

ASSIGN: make or break a cross-connection immediately or at a specified time, mark a pair as cut through, mark an output pair as defective

EXCEPTION: mark an input pair as being defective, enter an explanation, view input connectivity

MAINTENANCE: attach a test condition to an input pair or temporarily break a cross-connect for testing purposes

REPORTS: display or print connection reports on: assigned, exception, maintenance conditioned and spare pairs

HELP: With the F1 function key, full-featured help is always available to aid the operator.

The operating system supports multitasking, which the REPACCS software takes advantage of, allowing multiple user log-in sessions and multiple modem communications. These tasks generated by multiple users are placed into a first-in-first-out queue, which is managed by a multi-tasking background program.

Four levels of security are configured into the software to ensure proper access depending on the personnel using the system. The level of security is determined when the user logs into the software. The UNIX operating system can also have log-in and password security.

Computer and Peripherals

The computer and its peripherals are used to:

• execute the REPACCS software
• communicates with the CCCU
• print out reports

Cross-Connect Control Unit (CCCU)

The CCCU (Figure 2) is the interface between the computer equipped with the REPACCS software and the REPACCS electronic modules. Over dedicated control pairs the CCCU communicates with the REPACCS electronic modules. The CCCU can control up to 20 REPACCS electronic modules. Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) signaling is used for communication between the CCCU and the REPACCS electronic module. The CCCU meets Bellcore Specification TR-NWT-000063 "Network Equipment - Building System (NEBS) Generic Equipment Requirements".

Figure 2. Cross-Connect Control Unit (CCCU)

The CCCU is typically rack-mounted and located in the Central Office or other remote site, supplied with -48VDC. The CCCU can be located wherever the network interfaces with metallic copper cabling and local power is available, such as a fiber mux node. The CCCU uses two dedicated control pairs to communicate with each REPACCS electronic module (only one is required for operational purposes; two are supplied for redundancy). These control pairs must not have a loop resistance greater than 2000 ohms.   The CCCU uses a modem to communicate with the computer system over a standard dial-up telephone line. The CCCU connects with two (2) control pairs for each REPACCS electronic module.

The CCCU records the cross-connects for each REPACCS electronic module to which it is connected. This information is stored in nonvolatile memory to ensure that, in the event of a power outage at the CCCU, information will not be affected.

The CCCU provides the following functions:

• receives and interprets cross-connect commands from the computer
• provides the power and activation signals to the selected REPACCS electronic module
• performs diagnostics routines and reports the results to the computer
• provides a secondary (backup) database of all connection information

The CCCU’s modem interface includes an additional call-up/call-back security system to prevent unauthorized access to the CCCU.

• through the software, the computer calls the CCCU to initiate communications
• the CCCU answers the call and the computer downloads the access code information
• the CCCU hangs up the call and checks the information against its internal database
• if the data checks out, the CCCU calls back the telephone number that it has been programmed to dial

CCCU meets Bellcore TR-NWT-000063 "Network Equipment-Building System (NEBS) Generic Equipment Requirements"

REPACCS Electronic Module

The REPACCS electronic module (Figure 3) consists of a card cage and backplane with one (1) controller and sixty (60) switch cards with ribbon cabling. The controller card interprets the signals sent from the CCCU over the control pairs and then passes the information on to the switch cards which in turn close or open a relay, making or breaking a connection between an input and an output pair.

Figure 3. REPACCS electronic module

The REPACCS electronic module includes:

• the standard building block for 300 input termination’s and 600 output termination’s
• an electronic physical layer switching matrix that used in conjunction with the software will allow each input termination access to an available output termination (this enables 100% input pair utilization)
• a test bus system which facilitates for cable trouble-shooting
• two (redundant) controller sections used to communicate with the CCCU (only one is required for operational purposes)
• an industry standard cable interconnection system

The TEST bus system in the REPACCS electronic module can be attached to any of the 300 input terminations. This TEST bus system can be attached to an input pair so that a technician can isolate trouble to and from the REPACCS electronic module. There are four test sources available on the TEST bus system:

• Tip-Ring short
• Tip-Ground short
• Ring-Ground short
• ATTACH another pair (loop testing)

The ATTACH another pair position allows bridging another input pair to the TEST bus system for use in cable troubleshooting purposes via a loop test.

Meets FCC Part 68 breakdown requirements

ABT Frame

The ABT frame is equipped with support brackets, more can be added to mount up to three (3) REPACCS electronic module. The ABT frame can also be equipped with an optional protection/access field.

Model:	AC-25 (25 in/ 25 out pairs)
Control Pair Loop limit:	2000 ohms from CCCU
Switching Method:	Metallic
Switch Type:	Single phase unidirectional stepper motor
Minimum Switch Life:	20,000 operations @ .1A, 50 VDC
Resistance:	<.2 ohms
Cross-talk Loss:	>100 dB, 0-4khz, >60 dB @ 775KHz
Surge Protection:	Built-in, limits to <275 volts
Dimensions:	31" L x 4.5" D
Weight:	16 lbs.
Operating Temperature:	-40 to 176 F (-40 to +80 C)
Power Requirements:	During cross-connect activity power supplied via the CCCU, idle state none

ADF Module

Figure 6. ADF module